← The Brett Cooper Show
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So the 2026 Winter Olympics just wrapped up about 48 hours ago, and the last week of the Games was pretty remarkable for the United States, if you guys are following along. But par for the course, some liberals are literally having to consult their therapists on how to cope with their feelings about the Olympics. And no, I am not joking. Now, before we dive into this story, I wanna tell you guys that I am doing another show at Zany's on March 1st. So if you are in the Nashville area, the Tennessee area at large, come see the show. It is super fun. We basically just do a live version of the show. You can find tickets@brettcooper.com if you wanna see behind the and farm blogs and butter that my mom and I are making in her kitchen, you can go to cooperconfidential.com and all of that content will be there. Okay, deep breath. I made it through that. All right, so there have been some pretty massive standouts in the last week of the Olympics. But possibly, I would say objectively, the most viral and most universally loved has been American skater Alyssa Liu, having an incredible, just momentous comeback and winning gold in women's ice skating. For a little backstory in 2022, right after the Beijing Winter Olympics, Alyssa retired. She was only 16 years old, and she was one of the best female ice skaters in the world. But she said that she was burned out. She had just lost her love of the Sport. But then two years later, when she was 18 years old, she called up her coaches and she said, you know what? I am ready to come back. But if she was gonna come back, she was going to do it on her own terms. She did an interview that now has gone viral, and she said, you know, I'm not gonna be starving myself. I'm gonna be setting my own practice times. I wanna be doing the music that I wanna dance to. I wanna do this my own way. I'm not gonna try to fit into these conventional ice skating molds anymore. I'm just gonna be a Alyssa. You can love it or you can hate it, but I wanna skate just because I love it. And apparently, that was the winning strategy. What people have loved even more than her just bringing home a gold medal is her radiant joy that she was showing throughout this entire Olympic Games. She came back onto the ice now, four years later, as a completely different skater, a completely different person, and that was infection. She has become so well loved, which is why people are now playing politics and they are trying to fight over her. And we will get to that. But for now, just watch her free skate routine from the finals. It was so awesome. I mean, it was so much fun. It was incredible. And the best part was, to me at least, like, not only was she having so much fun, but she finished that looking so proud and so confident. Like, she knew that she crushed them and people loved her even more when she ran right up to the cameras after that routine and she said this. That's what I'm fucking talking about. Thank you, Alyssa. So she said, that's what I'm effing talking about. And obviously, you can be like, oh, Brett, she shouldn't be swearing, whatever. But she had so much joy, like, after retiring because she had fallen out of love with the sport, coming back on her own terms, saying, I'm not gonna fit into your mold. I'm not gonna starve myself. I'm not gonna prioritize this over just being a young person and having friends and pursuing other things. I just wanna do this because I love it. And then crushing that routine like this. Like, she hadn't even received her scores yet. She had not won a gold medal. She was just so happy to be on the ice doing what she loves. Like, how can you not root for that? Like, again, it's just infectious. But she is not the only one who has evoked that feeling. Like, people are already pointing to how she primarily but also, like, quad God, are completely changing the sport. One person posted and said, four years ago, figure skating looked like a sport where you won by driving literal children to the point of mental breakdowns. With Alyssa Liu's win, it looks like a sport where you win when skaters have agency and freedom to be themselves and skate to find joy. And I'm not gonna lie, guys, you know this about me, but I am so emotional. So as I was scrolling through and, like, bookmarking all of these posts, I started tearing up at some of the before and after fan edits, like, showing what she looked like when she was skating as a little girl. She would come off the ice and she would be crying. She would be so upset with herself. And then now how she's skating today. There was one particular edit that was set to a song from Hamilton, who was set to wait for it. If you guys are also theater geeks like me, you probably cannot play that one because of copyright issues. But just like, no, for me and for my fellow theater kids, it was incredibly moving. I was sitting, scrolling last night, just crying over it. So regardless, her story has meant a lot to a lot of people, and it has also meant a lot to people that her joy has not been overshadowed by her politics, because unlike some of the other members of Team USA and actually her own skating team, she did not make her performance, her attendance at the Olympic Games about politics. She was simply there to redeem herself, to skate and to have fun. And just so we're all on the same page here, I do want to be fair. There was one interview in regards to the Olympics that she did talk about politics, but that was back in October. That was before Milan, before she got there. And this is what she said, and this is going to be important later on.
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I definitely do really care about
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what
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our country is doing, and I think it is really important also to notice the faults in our own government. Yeah, very, very similar to my dad. Yeah, things are a little rough. A little rough in our countries, but I think every government has its issues. There's so many protests that are going on, and I've attended, and it's. Yeah. I mean, coming from a family of immigrants, like, I think. I think immigrants deserve rights. I think it's a little silly, especially in America.
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That was the only remotely political thing that she has said throughout this Olympic journey. And honestly, like, I watched that clip, and I was like, who cares? She's a zoomer daughter of immigrants who was raised in Oakland, California. She definitely looks alt. She has crazy dyed hair and piercings. Like, big whoop. She's probably on the left. Anybody could see that. Color me shocked. I really don't care because she's an amazing skater and she made me feel something, but what so many people loved about her. And when I say people, I'm meaning, you know, common sense conservatives and normal Americans. What people loved is that when she got to Milan to compete, it felt like she checked her personal politics at the door. Not that there was a lot to check, because honestly, she doesn't really make politics about her sports identity. Like, she is just focused on ice skating 24 7. And during the Games. Aside from that clip back in October, the only political thing that she was even remotely connected to was when the pansexual, anxious LGBTQ ice skater Amber Glenn, who was upset to be competing for America, as you guys remember from that old episode, when she posted pictures of her and Alyssa on TikTok and she captioned it this. She said, they hate to see two woke bitches winning. That was it. That is the only political thing that Alyssa was connected to. But Alyssa never piled onto that. She didn't continue the conversation. She never made her own post. She has been solely focused on skating and winning. Maybe. Maybe Amber should have tried that, because I don't really remember her winning. Anyway, just kidding. Moving on. The point is, people love Alyssa Liu regardless of politics. And in large part, she has not been political. She has just emerged as this joyful and honestly pretty patriotic national treasure who the entire country, regardless of political allegiance, was able to rally behind. However, people can't just let us have our fun. Everything has to become polarizing. It has to become political. And so the left obviously is desperate to claim her as their own, which is fine, who cares? But now they're saying that we can't like her either. And they're actually relentlessly mocking conservatives on social media for enjoying her performances and cheering her on. Just look at these tweets. One guy said, I'm so confused by right wing accounts trying to claim her as if she isn't clearly a woke bisexual zoomer. Another account said, holy shit, Republicans are so dumb. One singular ounce of research and you would have found this interview talking about the one in October. I swear to God, you morons are addicted to being humiliated. Prop up Alyssa Liu all you want. She has the same thoughts as Amber Glenn. I'm dying. Okay, well, she did not make politics her entire identity. Like Amber Glenn. Amber Glynn was posting on Instagram about how she was so anxious because everybody was talking about her politics that she brought up that she made a big deal out of so she couldn't compete. It was so stressful. Her anxiety, all of that stuff like that is not the same thing. The issue is not the athlete's voting record and what party they are aligned with. It's whether they are bringing that into the Olympic Games, whether that is deterring them from honestly representing Team USA in a wholesome and respectful way. Like, that's the issue. Anyway, moving on. Another person commented and said, she effing hates you guys. Like, I mean, come on, people. Again, I don't even know how exasperated I can really be about this, but, like, imagine if we were tweeting this at every lib who was posting about watching Yellowstone. Like, Taylor Sheridan hates you. Taylor Sheridan isn't a lib. Stop watching. Like, you all sound like babies. Who cares? Why are you trying to make this into something that it's not? This is a rare moment when the country seems unified, when people are happy and excited and inspired, and you're trying to make it polarizing for literally no reason. Anyway, moving on. This was one of the best posts about her, just because of how ironic and out of touch it was, but this guy retweeted that same House Republicans post and said, claiming immigrants and their children when it's convenient and useful for you effing spineless snakes. Like that's rich coming from a Democrat. Seriously, like maybe look in the mirror, guys. Like, that is exactly what Democrats have done for years. That is one of the reasons, in my opinion, why Donald Trump won in 2024. Like you collect these little intersectional voting blocks, you make them think that they need you, that they need to rely on a benevolent Democrat government, and then you discard them once you get into office or when they start questioning your goodwill. It's probably why naturalized immigrants shifted towards Trump in 2024. This is from the Cato Institute. Naturalized immigrants probably voted Republican in 2024. And in here they wrote that naturalized immigrants went from favoring in 2020 by 27 points to switching all the way to favoring Trump by one point. So obviously something happened. It seems obvious to me that they realized that they were being used and that you actually weren't doing anything for them. Crazy idea. Now, what is not crazy is buying a suppressor from Silencer's Shop. Because shooting is great, but shooting suppressed is better. It is way better. It is a noticeable difference. 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Anyway, back to the story. That uproar from Leftist Online did not deter anyone's love of Alyssa Liu. Thank goodness. And people online had some fantastic responses to these tweets. Like one person said right wingers like Alyssa Liu because she enjoys representing America instead of acting like she is a a slave to an evil empire. Like she actually stood for the national anthem. She put her hand over her heart. Shocker. Imagine that she was happy to represent us. He goes on and he says leftists are confused because it is a hardline rule of the left. You cannot enjoy art if the artist does not invoke the right. Political incantations. Exactly. Life's a lot more fun when you get out of that bubble. I'm just saying. My friend Kongmin was also posting about this. He shared a similar sentiment and he wrote, leftoids can't understand why conservatives cheer a girl like Alyssa Liu because their worldview demands total ideological conformity and purity. Mildly disagree on one issue and you're not just wrong. You are subhuman, unworthy of any admiration or basic respect. Someone whose life must be utterly and completely destroyed. That's not an exaggeration. We saw what happened in 2020. We have seen the cancel culture for people that they loved, for family and friends. Not an exaggeration. Anyway, Kongman goes on and says conservatives can disagree with somebody's politics, yet still celebrate her talent, especially when she wins gold for Team usa, drapes herself in the flag, and openly expresses her love for America. One side hates everyone to their right across the board, and the other can celebrate a cute American figure skater even when she does not check every box. The divide between left right in America is between people who hate America and want to destroy it versus those who love America and want to preserve it. It is that simple. And it really is. Like, again, we are just happy that she checked her personal politics at the door and that she showed genuine joy and gratitude for our country and the opportunities it afforded her. Like that is the bare minimum. But we love it. And we also love that unlike other athletes like angry and elitist Eileen Gu, that she did not leave to go compete for the ccp even after she and her father were literally spied on by them. We love, in typical American spirit, that she and many other skaters have bucked the normal figure skating trends and did so with fire and passion and excellence, that we are pushing the sport forward and regardless of politics. I also think that so many people of many different ages and just across the aisle see ourselves in her story of having a passion for something but then being burned out, getting beaten down, feeling like you could not excel underneath somebody else's structure, and then being able to come back on her own terms and absolutely crush it. Whether that is at school or in sports, in your career, your personal life like that is a very universal experience. And her coming back to the Olympics with this newfound joy and skill was so inspiring to watch, even if you do not give a damn about figure skating. Now, interestingly, though, to be fair, not all conservatives agree with the sentiment. And not all conservatives are enjoying watching her. One substacker did a piece on this, talking about her positively, you know, her patriotism. And this commenter under the substack was quite angry. So I'm gonna read it to you. And they write, this is why conservatives always lose. Alyssa Liu hates you. She believes everything that you hate. Oh, but she skated. Who cares? Her version of America still involves turning it into a third world shithole and punishing you for dissent. When leftists encounter somebody who supports Trump, they do what they can to ruin them. Cancel sponsorships, get them blacklisted, kirk them. They do this because they want to win. And they are. You aren't taking the high road by celebrating the victory of somebody with identical views to Amber Glenn, someone who would readily support your blacklisting. You could not be woke and a patriot at the same time. And Liu knows that because she skates for herself, for her career. Her standing for the flag or holding a US flag is the absolute bare minimum thing. And somehow you think that she left her politics at the door. She didn't. She is still openly pro leftist on everything, despite fake headlines. You are a prey animal. Now listen, I am sure posting that comment felt really good. I think this person had a lot that he needed to get off of his chest. I understand the sentiment, I understand the anger. And we have actually been talking about this idea a lot in recent episodes. This idea that conservatives very often play by the rules. We take the high ground, we are willing to reach across the aisle. We value moral consistency, we don't want government involved. So we take a step back. Meanwhile, the left is rabid, as we know. They don't play by the rules. They create their own rules. They are hyper partisan, they are tribal, they're collectivists. And honestly, they usually get a lot more done. Now I can agree with that and I can agree that our strategy in D.C. and in local politics maybe should change and adapt a little bit. But I refuse to allow myself agreeing with that sentiment on a broad level to turn me into somebody who hates everyone, who might not agree with me and cannot experience joy outside of a political win. Like that does not seem like a happy existence. That's not a life that I want to live. Like, I might be black pilled on a lot of things, but I am not that black pilled. Rounding it out here, this is probably my favorite comment of all. This guy said, hey genius, anyone with eyes that saw the zebra hair and pierced fucking gums could guess with a 99.98% accuracy that she wasn't exactly right wing. We're just happy that she represented the country and can't unholy ass, your brain is broken. And yeah, like that other commenter said, maybe that is the bare minimum. Maybe we're being duped here. But you know what? It's a bare minimum that I am happy to celebrate because of the world that we have been living in for the last decade where people have been so excited to burn our flag. Who talk about our country with such utter disrespect and disgust. So I'm sorry if I get excited that somebody with great joy and skill does not do all of those things, like, let me have that moment. But anyway, the point is, I do not need to know Alyssa Liu's politics. I do not need to agree with her politics in order to revel in her joy and appreciate her skill. Just like I don't need to know the political leanings of every single Team USA Hockey player to know that they also kicked unholy ass and told Canada to shove it. I do not care who they voted for. I am simply excited. I am so happy that all of those young men seemed honored to represent our country. Like, just watch what Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal against Canada, had to say. This should just fill you with American pride.
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This is all about our country right now. I love the usa. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong and we have so much support from ex players. And I'm so proud to be American today.
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This was proud. This was such an incredible game to grind out. I mean, you're bleeding right through it just looking at you right now. Can you just talk about how difficult this gold medal was to win?
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Unbelievable game by Hellback. He was our best player tonight by a mile. Unbelievable game. Unreal game by our team. That's just a ballsy, gutsy win. That's American hockey right there. That's a great Canadian team, but we're usa. We're so proud to be Americans. Tonight was all for the country.
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What does this gold medal mean to USA Hockey?
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It's everything. Like I said, the USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. Look at these. These guys. We're such a team. We've been together for two weeks. We're such a team. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong.
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I mean, he's obviously talking about his team and that brotherhood, but he kept going back to, I love this country. I'm so grateful to be representing them. I'm so excited we did this for you. We are so happy. Like when Trump called them in the locker room, all of these men, I have no idea who they voted for. They were so excited because regardless of your politics, it's cool when the president of your country calls you and says, hey, great job. You came kicked some ass. And it was so amazing to see all of those men revel in that. Compare that reaction to the skier who had mixed feelings about representing the United States. Like, sir, I also have mixed feelings about you representing us? I just much prefer the jovial hockey players who were so drunk and so excited that they literally started thanking the troops on national tv. Just watch.
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I mean, it's just so special. And I want to thank our troops for allowing us to play this game, thank our troops for allowing us to play this game, and thank all the support back home.
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But I mean, that is America, baby. That is probably the most American thing I have ever seen. Drunk hockey player, beer in hand, being like, thank the troops. It's just amazing. This comment killed me. This guy said, I thought we wanted to keep politics out of sports. Like, okay, so great mask off moment. I guess you're saying that thanking the troops is political now. Like, I'm glad we all know where you stand. Like, I'm sorry, but kicking Canada's butt should be a unifying moment. It has been more than two decades since we did that, and for most of us who are not consumed by political hatred 24 7, it is a unifying moment. And I also have to tell you that being in our camp is way more fun than being in this one. Just look at what HuffPost published in light of these Olympic Games. This headline is absurd. They write, there is a name for the discomfort you're feeling while watching the Olympics right now. If waving the American flag or chanting USA turns you off right now, you are not alone. Like, thank God. I'm having a good time. Thank God. This is not my reaction to the Olympic Games. Like, come on. Like, what is this? We're now using therapy speak to soothe our mentally ill fellow Americans who are so triggered by patriotism. Guys, it's not just that. It's not just the headline. Because in this article they have multiple psychologists ready to give comment, ready to offer their support. And I cannot believe that these are words that was published. Just listen to this. The cognitive dissonance of rooting for USA Sports while hating the US Government is so common quote that it continues to be one of the main topics I hold space for in therapy, says Los Angeles Space licensed clinical social worker. As we continue to witness national and global atrocities in real time, it can trigger feelings of guilt, despair, shame and anger. Although these feelings are common, you shouldn't ignore them. Cognitive dissonance isn't just having mixed feelings, says another clinical psychologist. It is a psychological state that happens when somebody holds two conflicting beliefs or values at the same time or they are engaging in behaviors that contradict their values. Holding space for sports for your conflicting cognitive dissonance over US Sports. Like, every day I genuinely question how people reached adulthood. If you were literally in therapy talking about your feelings about cheering for a certain sport or a certain team, like, I do not know what to tell you. Thankfully though, these therapists have experience. They do know what to say and they are here to walk us all through these tough times. The article goes on and says there is no easy, tidy resolution to addressing the these big feelings. Learning to move through the cognitive dissonance means naming these emotions and letting complexity exist. You can hold more than one truth at the same time. You can admire the discipline and sacrifice of the athletes and you can strongly disagree with the government policy and you can feel both pride and disgust without needing to collapse that into one correct feeling. Like, I mean, what is this? Is this like Ms. Rachel, we're dealing with our big feeling. Why are we treating adults like they are emotionally dysregulated toddlers? That is exactly what this article is doing. Oh wait, actually it's probably because that's how they act. That's how a large portion of our society, our fellow Americans, act on a day to day basis. That's your black pill moment. HuffPost put this article on X, which was brave of them, and they obviously got ratioed. The comments were just incredible. EV magazine was the first one I saw and they said, oh shut up Jack Mack posted and said you guys are still in business. And then this one was just the best. This guy said, if worthless media outlets like the HuffPost turn you off right now, you are not alone. And then he shared this graph about people who said that they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in mass media, which is very obviously on a rapid decline. Thank goodness most of us have that feeling in common. And hopefully none of you guys are gonna end up in therapy talking about your big feelings over how idiotic that article was. I mean, like genuinely reading this, looking at the reactions online about people simply applauding a fellow athlete, like, it is time to log off. Like, delete action for a little bit. Go touch grass, step outside of politics enough so that you can just enjoy some nonpartisan American revelry. Because left versus right, right now, who cares? We still beat Canada in both women and men's hockey. That should be more than enough to uplift and unite us all as a nation. Sam.